The Gamer Files: The Legend of Dragoon
by L. Damarik Laizare
Summary: A young gamer had settled down for a night of enjoyable game play of his favorite titles. But an electrical surge caused an unexpected plottwist...The story of eleven thousand lifetimes...with a What If scenario...and the ultimate outcome...
1. Arrival in a Foreign World

There was a huge storm system moving in. Even rotation of the upper layer of clouds in the troposphere dictated the possibility of an oncoming tornado. But, even with such exciting events going on, he was locked away in his room, studiously going through his game collection as he tried to figure out what game to play that evening. So many interesting titles to chose from, yet he couldn't make up his mind.

"LoD, Fable, Legaia one and two...Dino Crisis..." He read the games out to himself as he sifted through the pile. Going back over, he just closed his eyes and picked one out. The game came in a twin-cd case...not many of his did.

"So that means either Legend of Legaia...or The Legend of Dragoon..." He thought as he opened his eyes, falling upon the Legend of Dragoon title upon the CD case. "Okay. Now that we've got the game...where's that damned Game Shark?"

Referring to the little piece that plugged into the memory card slot on his Playstation Series 2 game console, he located the adaptor and loaded up the accompanying GameShark disc to ensure that all of his correct codes were punched in.

"Copy ability, item generator...okay. Looks like we're set on this end." He spoke, activating the GameShark and removing the disc, ready to start on the LoD game over from the beginning. He had played it countless times and knew the game like the back of his damned hand. Now, he only played with the GameShark for laughs. It was fun...in a way. As the game disc loaded up, he double checked his code sheet to make sure he had entered the right codes, and picked out the New Game words on the screen.

In that split second, there was a flash of blinding light. A resounding boom echoed as his world went black.

"My god! I've been hit by lightning!" He tried to cry out, but the words would not leave his mouth. He found himself feeling a gust of breeze...the world seeming to spin in the void of blackness that had encompassed his body. Yet as quickly as it had begun, it ended, and he felt nothing.

* * *

It seemed like an eternity before anything vaguely familiar happened. He remembered waking up and looking around. There were people there as voices echoed in from beyond his range of vision. At the moment, that consisted of a single, wooden room sparsely decorated with a matching wooden table near a four-pane glass window, and a rather old and musty looking carpet. Upon further discovery, he found himself laying in a bed with a feather and tick mattress.

'Who even uses these anymore...but to the point...what am I doing here!' His mind screamed at him. He tried to recall how he'd arrived in the strange place, but no memory would present itself. Not even his own name. He sat up in the bed to find himself dressed in somewhat familiar clothing...something he could remember wearing most of the time. His black windbreaker coat made of a thin polyester material. Thick black boots on his feet, near covered up by his semi-baggy black jeans. A white tee shirt wrapped about his normal upper body structure. A collar dangling around his neck, and the black hat and goggles upon his head. But there was a new piece.

A thin chain hung about his neck, with a circular emblem dangling from it. It bore resemblance to something he thought he recognized. A strange fish was the centerpiece, it's mouth agape with jagged teeth rimming it. The fish was turning, so it would all fit inside of the round metal border. Nothing spectacular, bit rather dashing if he did say so himself.

Removing himself from the bed, he stood up, listening to the hustle and bustle of the people outside. Wandering through the house, he found his way to the exit, only to be met with a wide open street. People were moving this way and that, some carrying heavy parcels, others just strolling around. The street itself was more of a dirt road than anything. No concrete pavements or sidewalks.

"There you are!" A sharp, crisp voice shocked him out of his momentary daze.

Turning around, he found the eyes of a bright young woman hanging upon him. She didn't look very old, yet at the same time, had an apparent aura of wisdom about her. Looking him up and down, she seemed satisfied with something.

"Well...it looks like you're good enough to walk again. Must've been a really awful experience you had there." She continued on. "After all, not many people can cope with what you did very well."

"Excuse me, but what happened?" He asked.

"You must have been fooling around with some magickal items, since we found you surrounded by them when we found you. Not toys, no they aren't." She shook a disapproving head at him.

"Not to interrupt," He began..."But, where exactly am I?"

"You, young sir, are in the village of Neet. Most northern village in all of Mille Seseau. Now, if you don't mind, I have a question for you."

"Okay...but I'm not sure I can really answer anything." He returned.

"Well...it's not a hard question, really." She spoke.

"Okay then. Shoot."

"What? Oh, nevermind. What I want to know is...what's your name?"

He went to speak, as if it were on the very tip of his tongue. Silence was all that reared. He stood there momentarily, trying to recall his name. But it would not come to him, as before.

"I'm sorry to disappoint Miss...but I can't really remember anything."

She looked taken aback by that, a wary personage suddenly taking over her face.

"Well...you've got to have a name, don't you?"

He shrugged. "If I could remember ma'am, I'd tell you."

"Okay...then let's give you a new one until you remember your old."

Both thought for a moment, a sudden light snowfall beginning to drift down around them. Quickly pulling his light coat tighter, his fingers brushed the little emblem upon his necklace, a quick fleeting feeling passing over him as his coat suddenly became thicker...just enough to feel comfortable.

'Odd...what was that about?' He thought.

"I think I have the perfect name for you." The woman gripped him tightly on the shoulder. "Denkou Yosomono. It means Stranger of the Flash...or Lightning Stranger. I think that works."

Seemingly approving of it, he tried the name out. "Denkou...Yosomono. I kind of like that. Reminds me of something, but I can't place my finger on it. Anyway..."

"So Denkou...what exactly were you doing in the woods with Lightning Magick? Practicing something?" The young lady asked.

"I honestly don't remember." He rubbed the back of his head. "And I think I prefer Yoso. It's easier to say." He added as an afterthought.

"Okay Yoso...so...do you have a place to stay? You're welcome at my home." The young lady grinned, blushing slightly.

"I'm not sure miss. I really have to be going home." As he said it, the thought struck him. Where DID he live!

"Oh..." She replied, looking a bit down.

Not one to make matters worse, Denkou started down the street of the strange town...Neet did she say? And Mille Seseau...he was pretty sure he'd never heard of that country before. Or had he? It was all such a blur to his memory, yet at the same time, vaguely familiar...

As he continued his wanderings, Denkou stumbled across a building with a symbol of something he DID remember. A set of swords hung across the sign, with a bottle of blue liquid in the foreground. Food, weapons and supplies. It was going to be a journey, if anything, not only trying to get home but remembering where and what home was. Better to stock up.

And another revelation hit him! He had No Money! Stopping for a second, he scratched his head in thought, making to search his pockets. As he did so, he once again felt the cool metallic form of that strange necklace around his neck. No sooner had he felt the metal fish necklace did a sudden weight appear around his waist. Looking down, there hung a bag stuffed to the drawstring brim with golden coins attached to one of his heavy leather belts.

"Convenient...but I don't remember THAT being there either..." He thought out loud. But that wasn't the least of it. Yet another, heavier weight appeared both on his back and his lower of the two leather belts. An ornately decorated set of twin, violet bladed swords had appeared at both of his hips, and a satchel of great quantities of things had attached itself to his back.

"Very convenient indeed..."


	2. The Felds

Taking most of the day to get accquainted with the small village, Denkou had wandered from one end to the next. Even if he had everything he needed to start on his way home, whichever way that was, there was no going anywhere without knowing the local topography. He had learned that this village was an outlying settlement on the otherside of a place called the Evergreen Forest. To the west of that was supposed to be the capital of the country, some city named Denningrad.

As he sat along the dirt street near something of a gutter, Denkou pulled the satchel off of his back, digging through it for a quick bite to eat. Even as he did so, something was nagging at him.

'Denningrad and the Evergreen Forest...Mille Seseau...why do these names sound so familiar? And Neet...that one really rings a bell...but why?'

The thoughts boiled in his mind for quite some time, all the while enjoying a bit of fruit he had removed from the pack. He couldn't shake a stirring feeling that something was coming. Something he really didn't want to be around for. Night slowly came to pass in the snow covered town, finding Denkou returning to the home of the young woman whom had apparently 'found' him on the outskirts of the forest. He stepped up to the door and knocked, hoping she would be home...

And breathed a sigh of relief when she answered the door.

"Oh...hello there." She said in a spritely tone.

"Hi...me again." He tried a half smile.

"I kind of figured you'd be back. Come in, please." She offered and stepped out of the way.

Denkou entered in, finding himself meeting the gaze of a tall man with long, shoulder length blonde hair. He had with him a son on his knee, bright blue eyes shimmering in the light cast by a roaring fire. The two looked up to him, the blonde haired man giving a rather large smile of welcome.

"I'm guessing you'd be the young sir my wife had found the other day." He nodding towards Denkou.

"Yes sir, that would be me." Denkou replied, looking down at the silver haired woman. Wife? Wow...how young these people looked to be talking about marriage...the young lady couldn't have been any older than...wait...oh hell, there it was again. A large blank spot in his memory. Deciding better against it to ask, he removed on strap of his satchel, slinging it over his other shoulder with the second as the man spoke up again.

"My name is Zieg. Zieg Feld. What would yours be, my strangely dressed guest?" Zieg introduced himself, referring to the fact that while Denkou was wearing what he had thought normal, everyone else was dressed in some fashion that he knew HAD to have gone out centuries ago...

"Well...I couldn't remember my original name...so for now, I'm going by Denkou Yosomono. Pleasure to meet you Mr. Feld." Denkou dipped into a slight bow...something that came to him almost naturally. Had he always done that when meeting someone new? In any case, Feld stood up, placing the young boy on the ground to return the gesture, then outstretch his hand.

A handshake? Well...that's yet another small thing he could remember.

Denkou reached his own out and met him halfway.

"I see you've already met Claire." Zieg motioned off to his wife, whom had disappeared into what appeared to be the kitchen. "And this is my son, Dart." He knelt back down to pick the boy off the floor. The bright eyed boy looked at Denkou, a strange look crossing his childish face. One of...could that be knowing? Did Denkou know this child...this family?

"Unfortunately, you've come to us at a rather good time...Denkou was it?" Zieg began.

"If you don't mind, it's just Yoso for now." Denkou nodded.

"I see. Well, to be of point...your appearance hasn't been the only odd event as of late. As it is...the Moonchild is said to be coming." Zieg grinned rather broadly.

Something, right then and there, hit Denkou like a ton of solid concrete.

Moonchild...the village of Neet...Zieg Feld...

There was a strong nagging feeling telling him to leave. And it was being rather persistent.

"The Moonchild...is coming?" Denkou spoke, trying to sound not so suprised.

"Yes...it has been a recorded one hundred and eight years since last he arrived." Claire spoke as she returned from the kitchen, a tray with four piping hot bowls of broth and soup atop of it. She passed them around, keeing the one meant for Dart with her until she was done.

"I'm still not so sure of this thought...everytime, that monstrosity is supposed to arrive. At least, that's what the scholars and elders have told us. Not to say that I do not believe them, there's over 11,000 years of history to prove the event over and over again. But even with that...something bothers me." Zieg sat down into a chair, stroking his chin in thought.

"Oh don't worry our guest with your silly ideas and suspicions dear!" Claire laughed. "Just because the monster shows up every time doesn't mean that this won't be the time the Moonchild wins out. It's bound to happen eventually."

Denkou nodded with a forced smile on his face. Something about what Zieg had said stirred up an image in his mind. A mist of blackness...no, not mist.

Black Fire.

At the heart of that unholy looking flame, something moved about...wings stretching to the sky, a long thin arm with no hand, merely ending in what appeared to be a needle-tipped claw...and a roar sound as though it came from the depths of Hell itself...

"The Black Monster..." He spit out automatically, almost shocking himself stupid. Yet another revelation? What else would happen tonight?

"Yes...that demon spawn of Mayfil..." Zieg replied...cringing at the last word he spoke. "A beast sent to destoy the Moonchild and prevent it's Holy Blessing...if you believe the tales. There's a strange hint of something more than a power struggle behind it, and I don't think any of it has anything to do with Gods or Monsters, but that's just me."

* * *

The conversation continued on much of the same course as they all enjoyed the broth and soup mixture. They all sat back and told stories of their youths, minus Denkou, who just listened without a memory of a youth to describe. Claire and Denkou were almost held spellbound as Zieg spun a tale of his time as a warrior, prior to meeting Claire. The story was so extravagent yet believeable as he spun visions of great battles across the continent against masses of enemy ground troops. All the way down to their final victory, at loss of five of his beloved best friends and his former love. Even though that was the case, there was something he was leaving out...Denkou could just sense it. Almost like the growing urge to leave immediately.

While Claire told of her past in an island village in the south western seas, the plan was forming in his mind. He would leave after they had gone to bed. Sneak out, hoping not to catch too many squeaky floor boards. Even as the fire light began to die, he was preparing himself mentally.

It wasn't much longer before his moment of opportunity arrived. The resounding snores of Zieg from the bedroom down the hall told how he lay sleeping deep. And so long as Claire didn't hear him leaving, there would be no problem. It was a painstaking journey down the hall, past their bedroom door, through the living area to the front door. Double checking to make sure he had everything one final time, Denkou propped up the heavy wooden bar lock with a nearby broomstick, that way when the door closed, it would knock the broom down upon the animal skin rug, letting the lock bar drop back into place. After all...they had provided him with hospitality. He wouldn't want them robbed.

* * *

As he made his way down the streets, finding the main road through the town, he bore left, heading towards the Evergreen Forest. The person he had spoken to earlier had given him a small, inked out map of the available trails that would lead him to the capital, where the Royal Library was. Surely, he could find a way home from there, if not someone who knew the way.

Time passed away in silence, all except for the sound of his heavy boots on the cold dirt road, now covered in snow from a small fall earlier that eve. The cold had really set in, but thanks to the slight happening earlier, his clothing was now better suited to keep out the icy winds that had begun to stir while he was with the Felds. If it weren't for them, the night would've been dead quiet, aside from the falls of his boots. The dull thud-crunch kept him company, as did his shadow, on the way out of town.

Wait...his shadow...

Why was it getting darker by the second?

Looking up, he expected to see some clouds floating across the moon.

Only to find a glaring red orb beaming down at him from above.


	3. The Entity of Darkness

Throughout the small town of Neet, cries arose of the sacred symbol of the MoonChild's appearance. A blood red haze had covered the Moon That Never Sets, casting the entire town in a wash of crimson light. Denkou could not believe his eyes as he gazed on in horrified interest. The urge to leave was now more than ever persistent. Moving as quickly as he could, he lept over a thick wooden pole fence at the edge of town, finding himself face to face with the Evergreen Forest. Ahead, up a slope, the towering pine trees almost seemed to radiate an aura of massive quiessence, against the riotous cheers of the crowd in the town below them.

Making his way up the incline, Denkou found himself slipping slowly back down in the snow. Boots he had, yes. But with the soles suddenly gone...wait, they had been like that for quite some time...yes, if shattered memory served him correctly. Drawing both of the violet bladed swords from their places on his lower belt, he dug them into the ground, using them for support as he continued his way up the hill. When the treeline lay not more than three feet from him, Denkou crossed down the line of trees to a path just visible in the light of the Moon. There he walked a ways into the woods, stopping to take a break at a large fallen log, hollowed out from years of decay.

At least up here, it was quiet. The only sounds outside of the now faint cheers of the crowd were crunches in the snow as a stray animal ran this way or that, and a slight buzzing sound, most likely some kind of bug capable of surviving the winters here...

Taking out the map he had been given in town, Denkou scanned it over. He had made it to the main trail that ran from Neet to Denningrad. All it would be from here was about a day and one half's walk through the forest.

Was that buzzing getting louder? It already seemed like it was coming from over his shoulder...

"What the Hell is going on here?" Denkou questioned as he looked around. Nothing. Yet still, the buzzing sound grew louder.

A roar ripped through the forest...something sounding so unholy...

THERE! A MEMORY!

A town in flames...people screaming in agony...

What was this?

Then, it revealed itself...that black form that had erupted into his mind earlier that night during his conversation with the Felds...

Those wings...

That single thin arm with the needle claw...

But more came to mind this time.

A dark twisted skin...that seemed to gleam bright in the fire light.

Two ruby colored demonic looking eyes...

The Black Monster.

But wait...more came to mind...

The very spot he was sitting, two people came running up the hill in the memory...

One in a thick brown leather coat with fleece lining. One in a heavy winter coat of an expensive looking light red material...

And a child.

The buzzing had more or less by this time turned into a loud thrum of a vibration. The sudden change in tone snapped Denkou out of his momentary stupor long enough to look to the sky.

Overhead, an emerald light was growing, blotting out the crimson glow from the Moon as it got brighter, while the noise got louder. The roar ripped through the trees again, this time sounding horrifying in its intensity. With barely a moment's notice after the arrival of the second roar, the bright light shot over the very spot Denkou had been standing at an impossible speed, descending down into the town below. The resultant appearance of the light caused the near faint cheers...to become sheer screams and cries of horror and fear. In mere seconds...the wash of red light cast by the Moon became shrouded in thick black clouds of smoke.

A few moments passed by before Denkou realized he'd been standing there watching as the destruction continued.

He had swords...and if memory served...he knew very well how to use them.

Firmly making up his mind, Denkou began to gather himself up when the sound of footfalls on the dirt trail down the hill came to his ears. There were at least two people coming...there had to be. The offset steps couldn't have been anything else, it was that evident. As they arrived in the clearing, Denkou nearly reeled backwards in shock.

Zieg, Claire and Dart had entered the clearing across from him, rushing over to the fallen log he'd been resting in.

"Mr. Feld?" He began.

"Danka...whatever...how did you get here? We thought you'd gotten lost or worse." Zieg asked.

Not wishing to reveal his planned escape, he quickly changed the subject.

"What is happening to the town?"

"It's that damned demon. It's come looking for the Moon Child." Claire spoke, panting heavily after their run up the hillside. "It must think the Moon Child is here in Neet..."

"Isn't there anything we can do?" Denkou looked towards the town as a triple ray of flame blew down the main street, catching any in its way.

Without responding to Denkou, Zieg turned to Claire.

"Stay here. I'm going back down to see if I can help anyone." He drew himself up and raced back down the hill towards the town.

Denkou, who still had both blades drawn followed suit, keeping pace with Zieg as fast as he could.

Claire took her child deep inside of the fallen log, brushing his hair back softly with her gloved hand.

"Dart honey...you stay here. I'm going to go see if I can help your father..." And with that, Claire also rushed down the hillside into town.


	4. The Fateful Night A Legend Began

It was a mass scene of hellish chaos. Buildings were burning, people were running left and right screaming for their lives. It was as if the depths of these people's hell, called Mayfil, had come to pass on Neet. Not one building standing wasn't on fire. Some had already collapsed, crushing their occupants or blocking the streets and side alleys. As Denkou and Zieg ran back through the town, the burly blond headed man drew a longsword from inside his coat...leaving Denkou wondering how he'd hidden it so easily. But that wasn't all he'd pulled. Hanging from a silver chain that was wrapped many times around his left hand, was a shining red orb, lanced with what appeared to be a single black slit that was pulsating wildly. The strange talisman almost glimmered with an otherworldly presence, one Denkou knew he should have recognized, but couldn't pull a name for.

"Zieg! What are you planning to do?" he yelled over the rampant noise of burning buildings and shrieking people.

"I don't know just yet, but I don't plan on letting that beast leave this place alive!" Zieg shouted back without turning over his shoulder. The man seemed driven by something...courage? Bravery? No...from what Denkou could see of his face, it almost looked like fear...and a long and deep seated fear it was. "Can't help but wonder if those damned Winglies are somehow involved in this!"

'Winglies...people who fly the skies on wings of light...' Denkou thought. The subject had been brought up in their conversation earlier that night, while Zieg was recounting his past. He had mentioned them briefly, describing their typical traits. Apparently, there were some still around...and he had been unfortunate enough to happen upon a few during his travels according to his tale.

"Well...we can't just run around without a plan! That's just asking for suicide!"

But Zieg hadn't heard him. As Denkou had spoken, an atrocious howl had ripped through the air from the center of town. The flames seemed to be getting thicker the closer they neared. Zieg tore off at an unbelievable pace towards the demon beast, sword high over his shoulder and talisman clutched in hand. As he rounded the corner where Denkou lost sight of him, there was a blinding flash of ruby red light, and the monster let loose another inhuman roar. Denkou quickly turned the corner...and was astounded by what he saw.

That instant, a pulse of energy struck the town center as two blades met in mid-air. Two winged opponents were clashing back and forth held aloft on their winged appendages. One wore a bright red armor, crystaline wings glowing angelic in the deadly smoke filled air as he struck a blow to his foe. The demon beast was on the other end of the second sword...what Denkou had mistaken for a claw, flashing back and forth on a sickly pale green light as it returned the attack with a counter blow of its own. The two figures fought on for what had to have been at least a good ten minutes before the red clad fighter drew himself away from the beast, tossing the sword into the air. A massive fireball began to appear before him as he recoiled his arm, throwing a fist forward that sent another shockblast of energy through the small square, decimating what was left of the burning shells of the buildings. The fireball roared towards the monster, who seemed unphased by this attack, merely brandishing its free arm infront of it to deflect the fireball. In return, the Black Monster shouldered its own weapon, casting the free arm forward.

Denkou watched as the world around he, and the two fighters began to vanish into a black abyss. Both he and the red clad warrior were held in place by what appeared to be gravity, unable to move, as the warrior slowly sunk to the ground. The force applied was so much that it dropped them to their knees, the pressure making it impossible to even stand. As they watched, a red light appeared on the street beneath the monster, shooting upward towards it. It almost seemed that the monster itself split in half as the a void opened, and a gale force wind began to blow them towards the mouth of the blackness. Various wails and howls were heard coming from it, and Denkou decided he definitely didn't want to be caught in that void when, or if it closed...

'I know it's a long shot, but come on necklace...' he thought as he raised a hand to the shark emblem, praying for a way out of the situation. To his great pleasure, he felt a sweeping energy come across his body, gathering in his hand. 'This had better work...'

He threw his arm forward, casting the energy at the abyss, watching with relief as it closed. The gravitational field around he and the red warrior seemed to lift, and they both rose to their feet. The man in red turned to face Denkou, and both seemed shocked to see each other, though Denkou had the sinking feeling he had already known who it was.

"Zieg?"

"Dankay?"

"Close enough! What the hell is going on here?!"

"No Time to Explain! Go to Claire! I am Trusting You to Keep Her Safe!" Zieg shouted, clutching at a emerald gem in the chestplate of his armor. His eyes flashed a brilliant green for a split second, a blue energy suddenly coursing over his forehead in the shape of an M..."GO DAMN YOU!" Denkou was snapped out of his stupor as Zieg tumbled to the ground, the Black Monster seemingly defeated for the moment.

Denkou quickly put his swords away in the sheaths attached to his back, turning back around the corner on the main road out of town. If Zieg would trust him that much, even after a single night's meeting...the man must've had a great faith in a complete stranger. Denkou had to wonder what gave the man his chivalry, but with a mission to fulfill...he raced back to the forest and the fallen log...only to find that Claire had left Dart there alone. He quickly took the child up in his arms, looking back on the town. Zieg had said to keep Claire safe...knowing he didn't mean to forget about Dart...But Denkou couldn't, in good conscience, leave Dart here alone to search for Claire...

"Well...I guess this means we should go find your mom and dad little guy." He said, hoisting the child onto his shoulders. He hadn't heard a single sound from the Black Monster since he'd fled to find Claire and Dart. Aside from the still raging fires that had all but left the center of the town, now burning the outskirts...there couldn't be much danger left. As the two slowly started back down the path, Denkou stopped short when a massive black, green and red light pulsed from the center of town again...and then tore off into the sky, leaving flaming sparks showering down on the town.

"Shit..." He said to himself, tucking Dart down tighter to his shoulders and running back into the village.

It was a scene of total chaos and pandemonium. People lay dying in the streets, some on fire, others just charred black. Some hung dead from the windows of their homes, an effort to escape only to be overtaken by smoke inhallation. In the background, the sounds of the fire were still evident as it ravaged what was left of the town, but Denkou pressed on, looking down alleyways and side streets, stopping when he came to a large crater in the ground.

The center of town was completely demolished. A massive hole was the only remnant of the battle that had taken place there only moments ago. Zieg was nowhere in sight either. All that remained...was a glinting light in a pile of rubble. He set Dart down as he bent over to clear away some of the debris. Dart came over to look...and ran to the pile when he saw his father's stone on the chain, laying in the heap of wood and stone.

"Daddy?" He asked, looking around as Denkou picked up the talisman, the chain shattered in pieces on the ground. He handed it to the child, not knowing anything about it more than Zieg was clutching it before he went into battle. As he did so, the talisman emitted a blinding light, dying down after a few seconds. Dart was holding onto it tightly, crying slightly. "This was his necklace..."

"Then maybe you should keep it." Denkou said as he pulled the child close, patting him on the back gently. He knelt there in the snow and rubble, holding the sobbing child as a sense of loss flowed over him. He hadn't know the family but one night...and felt like he'd known them his entire life. He let go of a few tears himself, wondering if Claire or Zieg had survived the onslaught.

"DENKOU! DART!" A voice resounded over the sounds of the fire and burning wood. Denkou turned and stood up, looking around to see Claire come running down an alleyway, quickly scooping up Dart in her arms.

"Mommy! Daddy's Gone!" Dart cried.

"I know sweetie...I know." She cooed, trying to console him.

"Thank god. I was beginning to think the worst." Denkou breathed a sigh of relief. "How are you fairing? Are you hurt ma'am?" He asked, quickly pulling his rucksack around from his shoulders.

"No Denkou, I'm fine...just a few burns here and there. It's nothing." She said, placing a hand on his shoulder. She was surveying the damage to the town as she looked around, and Denkou knew...wondering just how much she'd lost tonight. It had seemed such a lively place only a few short hours ago. Now...awash in a red glaring light and destruction...it was like Hell on Earth.

"What are we to do now?" Claire spoke softly, cradling Dart to her shoulder.

"Well...we could always make a run for Denningrad. Surely there's someone there who could help." Denkou suggested, pulling out the map from his bag. "Do you have any family nearby?"

Claire shook her head slowly.

"No...I have no family. Not anymore." A brief glimmer of disgust crossed her face with those words.

"We must do something." He pushed.

"Why is it you seem to care about us now? You were very aloof earlier, and judging by this map, looks like you were planning to sneak out of our home before the attack. You seem very suspicious, Denkou." Claire shot crossly.

Denkou shook his head.

"I was planning on leaving tonight. And it's not because of you Ma'am, believe me. But a very generous man, with a loving wife and son, took me into his home tonight. Before he vanished, he asked me to do one thing. He said to 'Go to Claire'. That he was trusting me to keep her safe. If that is the least I can do for that family's hospitality, then I intend to do so to the best of my ability." Denkou withdrew one of the swords, placing the tip in the ground. He sunk down on one knee, resting both hands on the hilt end, bowing his head. "I vow to serve and protect you, Ms. Feld, to my dying breath."

Claire stood there silently for a moment, a tear rolling down her cheek, as she took in the sight of the man pledging a vassal-hood to her. To be her guardian. And she thought of Zieg...and his request to Denkou.

"My husband must've seen a great strength in you. He does not trust easily." She said, placing a hand on Denkou's hat covered head.

Denkou remained silent, his eyes closed and head down turned towards the ground.

"Will you go with me, sir Yosomono?"

"I will milady. And I will help you find your husband."

As Denkou gathered himself up and re-slung his sword underneath the satchel on his back, he adjusted his gear and led the way out of town.

For three days the trio traveled, until they reached the Life City, Denningrad. There was no sign of Zieg. No one had heard of him...and everyone seemed oblivious to the terrible tragedy that had befallen Neet. They were too joyous for the homecoming of the baby princess Louvia, and the mother Queen Theresa Anne the Third. Denkou, Claire and Dart stayed in the city only long enough to ask around for Zieg before leaving. It was not long afterwards that the country of Mille Seseau fell into a great depression at the loss of the newborn princess to the evil of the Black Monster, aboard the S.S. Louvia in Illisa Bay.

After searching the entire country over for Zieg, they finally settled down in a small cottage outside of the port town Furni, awaiting the day when word would arrive of Zieg Feld, the Shining Red Warrior of Fire. But it never came. The days turned into months...and they too passed into years, and Denkou kept his vow to watch over the family, even as Claire died a short five years later of a broken heart. Dart grew into a fine young man in that time, the passing of his eighth birthday when Denkou decided to take him on as a pupil in the art of swordsmanship. By this time, Denkou had given up all hope of ever seeing his true home again, and life settled into a daily routine. Chores in the morning, training in the afternoon, dinner...and restless nights.

* * *

Time seemed to fly by, and soon, Dart had reached the age of eighteen. Denkou knew it was only a matter of time before he would start pursuing the Black Monster. Though he hadn't been seen in over sixteen years, Dart had a fascination for the beast...if only to learn more about him before he could set out to hunt him down and slaughter the demon for depriving him of his family. It became an obsession, and Denkou would sit awake every so often, hearing the teenager crying out in his sleep for the parents that were taken from him, due to that wretched monster. It would come again, Denkou knew. Why he was certain, he didn't know...but he knew it was far from over. The beast would be back before another one hundred and eight years had passed. 

And sooner than he would have hoped...the fateful day came again when the Moon that Never Sets glared a bright red...


	5. Return of the Foretold Harbinger

Shortly after Dart's ninth birthday, Denkou and Dart had relocated to a further southern town in the kingdom of Basil, the country of Serdio. They lived together in Seles in relative peace and tranquility on the outskirts of town, continuing their daily training exercises day by day. Denkou had indeed lost all track of the years as Dart gradually got older and better versed to deal with the outside world. Yet sometimes at night…

The tortured calls of the young teenager would still awaken Denkou from sleep, listening as Dart cried out for his parents, the father he barely knew, and the mother he loved so much, and the monster he could never forget. The townsfolk often thought him possessed of an evil spirit.

Somehow though, they managed to get by in the small village. Dart had even made friends with a local girl, one Shana by name. Denkou would often watch as they strolled out of town together, hand in hand, to go for walks in the local woods. Having taught Dart much of what he knew about swordsmanship, he was not afraid to let him wander where he would. He trusted the boy's judgment enough.So too did he trust his own judgment on the world he now lived in that his memory had nearly faded of why he'd arrived there in the first place. His role as a father figure served now as his only purpose. Which was why as the years went by, he became ever more fearful of the day when Dart would leave to pursue the Black Monster. It was inevitable, he constantly talked about it as he grew older.

* * *

Seasons came and went, as they often do, and it wasn't long before the local trader came into town again. His wares were set up for purchase, and as it was, Dart was old enough now to take on his first set of armor, his eighteenth birthday passing only a few days before. As Denkou and Dart were browsing over the choice selections, Denkou pulled the merchant aside about a fine set of mercenary armor, brightly decked red with a rather intimidating shoulder pauldron to cover the forward guarding arm. Swinging a few deals here and there, with a little hint to a much larger coin purse than what he would've normally let on, Denkou purchased the armor for Dart. His reaction was nothing less than fanatical as he fitted the flexing chest piece on over his shoulders, attaching the pauldron and arm guard that extended down into a metal gauntlet with an extra flanged joint at the elbow for maximum maneuverability. He wore it the rest of the day to get used to the feeling and the weight, as the two went about their daily chores.

"Denkou…you know what it is I want to do." Dart began later on that day.

"I do indeed, and if it's what you want, I've no right to stop you." He replied casually, the tone of mentor to student.

"I have but one more request, though you've given me plenty all ready."

Denkou kicked back on two legs in the chair he'd seated himself in on the front porch of their house. He cast a lazy eye towards the teenager, noting that he was watching his tutor with a studious eye set, as if awaiting the questions to a test. "What might that be?"

Dart stood up, looking down at the hilt of the broadsword sheathed at his right leg."I want you to come with me."

"You do not feel you can do it on your own? Is that it?" Denkou inquired with a questioning glance.

"It's not that." Dart turned his gaze towards the setting sun in the distance. He seemed to possess a sight that far outdid his short years, one of seeming wisdom as he responded slowly.

"I don't think this is going to be anything less than dangerous. You've always taught me to keep my head level and my eyes set on a goal. But I do believe that no matter how hard I try, I might have to face the fact that it could become a great deal more than just a simple quest for revenge. I don't want to lose myself."

Denkou watched his pupil with awe. He couldn't have confessed anything like that to anyone he knew presently. Not the way Dart had just confided in him.

"And you want me to be there to set you straight, should you go astray?" Dart shook his head.

"I want you with me…because I'm afraid. For the fear of what I might become."

Denkou nodded, knowing that feeling all too well.

"Very well. I will accompany you as far as this journey goes Dart."

Dart looked at Denkou with a slightly cockeyed grin, and spoke words that nearly cause his mentor to gag on his own breath.

"Good. I've already packed. We leave tomorrow."

* * *

The sun had barely risen before the two travelers had struck out on the beginning of their adventure. Not having done much in the way of exploring Serdio in the nine years they'd lived there, Denkou led the way through the western prairie lands on a heading south towards a city called Kazas, home of a reagent Emperor named Doel. With a map in hand and swords at their sides, their footsteps marked a trail down the mountains that ran through the heart of Southern Serdio. In one day, they crossed at an enthusiastic pace, seven leagues from the grasslands to the south tip of the mountains.

Setting up camp, tedious as it was with wild creatures around them, the two enjoyed a warm meal cooked over an open fire by Denkou as they sat back and recounted tales from previous times.

"Do you remember when we first moved to Seles?" Denkou asked.

"It's been too long a time. I remember small pieces of that day. How everyone looked at your odd clothing, thinking you were some kind of sorcerer." Dart said.

Denkou laughed.

"That's exactly what your mother thought of me when we first met." He touched the memory in his mind of the fateful day when he had first arrived in Endiness so many years ago.

"Tell me, what was your past like? Where did you come from, and how did you meet mother?"

Denkou reclined on the ground, draping one leg over the other.

"To be completely honest Dart, I don't remember much before meeting Claire. It remains a hazy part of my mind to this day. I do know that I arrived in Neet with some recollection of who I was, but I didn't know why I knew the things I did. Had I more clarity into the matter, I might've been able to save your Father from vanishing the way he did. Truth be told, my past is as much a mystery to me as it is to you." He shrugged. They'd had this conversation many times before, though each time, he hinted a bit more to the true facts that he really didn't remember anything before waking up in the snow that day.

"I met your mother outside of town one day. I woke up lying on the ground, surrounded by poly-synthetic magical items of the electric element, hence how I received my name in this world."

"Wait a minute…" Dart cut in. "What do you mean, 'this world'?"

"Honestly, I hold to my mind the possibility that I come from another place and time, which is why I dress and act the way I do. Think about it, I'm not your average citizen of Serdio, or any of the three countries for that matter."

Dart grinned into the firelight. "No, that you may not be, wise as you are."

"I know bits of things about Endiness history…before they happen. Brief flashes of pictures and scenes. People, faces, names…but I can never put together an entire story to tell before they come to happen. Almost as if I've come from a future world, and this life is nothing more than a story played out by actors on a set stage, where the script is written, and time flows as the directing charge sees fit."

"That sounds a bit too poetic though, don't you think?" The teenager turned a cheek to look at Denkou, an odd glance gracing his young face.

"Maybe just a little." Denkou conceded. After all, what were the odds of anything that fantastic being true?

"What about that pendant and necklace you wear?" Dart asked.

"This little silver medallion has served me well ever since I came here. Through some strange magic all it's own, it has allowed us to maintain the gold stocks that we have, provided food when we could not, granted us the home we live in, and thus far, has kept us safe from any real harm. I'd dare not let it go for anything."

"Has it really done all that?"

"That and more my boy. That and more." Denkou closed his eyes, remembering the strange occurrences linked to the metal fish within the circular enclosure that hung about his neck. Touching it briefly, more out of habit now than actually needing it's uncanny spell weaving to work, he turned his hat so the single sided brim came down over his eyes.

They both remained silent for some time, listening to the crackling of the fire in the night air, the sounds of the animals on the plains and the crash of a waterfall on the nearby mountainside. All was at peace in the late hours of the day, when the sun kissed the world one last time before it laid itself to rest as the Moon that Never Sets took to its more prominent night time glow.

"Denkou…what are your thoughts on the Black Monster?" Dart questioned, seemingly out of no where.

Denkou sat up for a moment, returning the brim of his hat to where it was as he thought upon the inquiry.

"Well, I know the prophecy of the Moon Child well enough to recite it from memory. I also know that the last time the Moon that Never Sets…" he paused and looked at the milky white orb in the sky…"shone red was the night the Black Monster ransacked Neet."

"Dare you venture any further guesses?" Dart plied further.

"I'm no scholar, but I know it hasn't been one hundred and eight years since that night. I do know that the monster vanished very rapidly after word spread of it's attack on the royal ship of Mille Seseau. But if I were to wager a guess, I'm going to follow that disturbing feeling that I get now and then…" he stopped short again, noting that Dart was no longer paying attention to him, but looking up at the sky, as the night light around them turned a twisted red.

The sounds of the wildlife faded away around them, from mountainside to field as the Moon began to glare angrily down at them both in a ruby hue, sending a deep seated fear running up Denkou's spine…"that we'll be seeing the monster again before the next century is up."

Both warriors stood up immediately and began to pack up their camp, their hands never straying far from the weapons sheathed at their hips. Within minutes, the camp was as if it had never been, save for a few smoldering coals still in the fire pit, and both travelers were back on the road to Kazas, a new urgency in their steps.


End file.
